Latest / Faith by annm2705 / 126. Obedience Stuggles

Transcript

126. Obedience Stuggles · Faith by annm2705

0:02
This is a follow-up to the podcast from yesterday which was
0:07
about trust and Obey. This is The Obedience part
0:12
because there are obedience struggles, I also wrote this on
0:17
my website which can be found at www.amc.army.mil.
0:27
It's called obedience struggles, There's a quote in John 10:27
0:34
and it's by Jesus, my sheep. Listen to my voice, I know them
0:40
and they follow me. That's John 10:27.
0:46
I think many of us struggle with obedience at different times in
0:49
life. Just think, back to the days of
0:51
being a toddler. A teenager.
0:53
And it continues into adulthood choosing obedience The Obedience
1:00
subject that I'm referring to is a situation of choosing to be
1:04
obedient, not being forced to be obedient forced.
1:08
Obedience is not God's way. God gives us free will.
1:11
Obedience is our choice. But even if we choose to be
1:16
obedient, there will be times when our selfish desires or
1:19
selfish gain are at war with the choice of obedience.
1:24
We know what the right thing is to do, but we are tempted, when
1:28
there's something beneficial For us and not choosing what we know
1:31
is, right? This is where scriptural wisdom
1:35
is clear. We can't serve two masters as
1:39
Jesus stated now when he said that he was referring to God or
1:43
money, being the Masters. But Jesus also said, A House
1:48
Divided will not stand and this is applicable to because we, as
1:53
a symbolic house will make a choice at some point.
1:57
It's impossible to choose both. You can't be divided.
2:01
If we are divided, we will not stand or in other words fall.
2:06
So what does fall mean? Well, in scripture to fall is
2:10
negative and it often indicates a separation from God, like the
2:14
fallen, angels and so forth. Earth, ultimately, the fall
2:18
involves having a master over our lives, someone, or
2:22
something, other than God. So there is power of evil and
2:29
sin over us. And this is something that we
2:33
need to consider. And it's not going to be
2:35
well-received to say it, but it is truth.
2:39
Until we choose God. We are under the influence of
2:44
the evil spiritual Realm. Think about it.
2:49
Someone is our Master people may say I'm My Own Master.
2:55
Well, that's a comforting thought to tell ourselves, but
2:58
it's not true. Unfortunately, Jesus States this
3:03
to solve our Paul. This is when Paul had his
3:07
conversion, but when Paul saw Jesus, Jesus said to him and you
3:11
can read it in Acts chapter 26, verses 15 through 18. 18.
3:18
But in verse 18, Jesus gave the reason to Saul why he was
3:23
calling him and he said to open their eyes and turn them from
3:28
Darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.
3:35
So Jesus is a identifying this as well that people need to turn
3:40
from the power of Satan to God so that they may receive
3:47
forgiveness. Miss of sins, and a place among
3:50
those who are Sanctified by faith in me.
3:55
So those who are made pure through Jesus, Through the act
4:00
of what he did on the cross and through belief in Jesus, that's
4:05
how we are Sanctified, but that was really interesting that
4:09
Jesus talked about getting people from the power of Satan
4:14
to God and that's what Paul's Its purpose was that's what
4:20
Jesus wanted Paul to do. So don't be misled as
4:24
Deuteronomy. 29 verses 19 through 20 indicates people are
4:30
not safe or saved when they persist and going their own way
4:36
and not God's way. I know we're all guilty of that,
4:40
we all want to do it our way. And maybe not God's way, because
4:45
we don't like it. But you can't be confident in
4:51
being saved if that's what you choose because in not choosing
4:55
God's way. Ultimately, you're choosing
4:58
something else as your master and that's why I mean like
5:02
people don't want to hear what I'm saying right now but it's
5:05
the truth. So in choosing to become
5:08
obedient to God we will be under attack by our own internal
5:13
desires and by evil spiritual Force.
5:17
Isis in the Heavenly Realms. Paul says, this is a quotation
5:22
from Ephesians 6:12, for our struggle is not against flesh
5:28
and blood, but against the rulers against the authorities,
5:31
against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
5:36
forces of evil in the Heavenly Realms.
5:40
So, this isn't a battle about people.
5:43
This is a spiritual battle that we are in the midst of So why do
5:49
this, why become obedient? So, why would I want to go
5:52
through all this? If my life was easier before, I
5:56
choose our chose to become obedient to God, why would I
6:00
want to bring on trouble or a tax of the spiritual realm?
6:05
Well, there's a really good reason for it because God has
6:08
greater plans for those who choose him.
6:12
As our Master. Yes, we have to become humble.
6:17
We are not our own Master, we have a Creator, God made us and
6:22
we must choose him as our Master if we want.
6:26
What God offers us as God often revealed in scripture, he is the
6:32
Potter. We are the clay that was formed
6:34
by his own hands. It's insightful.
6:37
Reading the references to Potter and scripture just search Potter
6:42
in a digital Bible, and you'll see a lot of references to that,
6:46
and it gives you some insight. God's plan and promise getting
6:53
back to what God has planned for us in his physical presence with
6:57
us on Earth. This is what he's planned.
7:00
Immortality peace, Joy, abundance healing No More Tears,
7:08
pure love and gentleness a physical place to live forever
7:14
more beautiful than we can Envision music celebration.
7:19
Comfort strength and more, we will soar on wings like eagles,
7:25
we will run and not grow weary walk, and not be faint.
7:30
And that's written about through the prophet Isaiah and 40:31.
7:35
Also, you can read Revelation, 21 and revelation, 22 for a
7:41
glimpse of what God has planned. For those who choose him.
7:45
Who doesn't want to live in this Kingdom.
7:48
This Sure, kingdom of God, is it worth going through the trouble
7:53
or attacks? When we are in those times?
7:57
It is challenging. But if we keep our mind focused
8:01
on the end result, we can endure and persevere because the end
8:05
result in God's future Kingdom on Earth will be worth it.
8:12
If you're one of those people who needs to hear all the bad
8:17
stuff you can search in the Bible in Revelation and find out
8:21
what happens during the seals and during the trumpets and
8:25
during God's Wrath. And if you if those the people
8:31
who do not choose God and do not choose to be obedient will be
8:35
subject to God's Wrath. So you might want to just search
8:39
Revelation and look at what God's Wrath is.
8:42
As if you need something that but I'm not trying to scare
8:46
people. I'm just trying to say here's
8:47
the good stuff that you want to focus on.
8:50
Not so much the avoidance of all the bad stuff but really
8:55
Desiring the good stuff. I think everybody can say we
8:57
want the good in our life. I'm not God doesn't do this I
9:05
mean God is love. So God wants us to focus on the
9:08
good things in life. So obtaining the reward God's
9:12
kingdom to be in God's kingdom, we turn to God, which is
9:17
repentance. That means, asking, for
9:20
forgiveness of the things we do wrong, then committing to become
9:23
obedient to God going forward, knowing that we won't be
9:27
perfect. So, we ask Jesus for the Holy
9:30
Spirit to help us, to follow through, with our obedience, and
9:34
to give us wisdom when God sees our heart, our he knows our
9:39
heart is set on doing this, he gives us this Help when we
9:43
asked, there's another quote that I didn't put in the written
9:46
form, but it's Jesus says something, you do not receive
9:51
because you do not ask. So we need to ask God for these
9:54
things. The point is many, people don't
9:57
know to ask for this but it is available to all whose heart is
10:03
turned towards God. Jesus said, no one can enter the
10:07
kingdom of God unless they are born again.
10:09
Born of the water, which is Sentence shown through baptism
10:14
and of the spirit, receiving God's spirit, becoming a new
10:19
creation, as a result of receiving God's spirit.
10:23
You can read about that. In John chapter 3 after this, we
10:27
stay connected to God, for strength, protection, and
10:31
wisdom. And we do this by reading
10:34
scripture and prayers, obedience does matter because God gives
10:40
the spirit to those who who are intent on being obedient and
10:46
having the spirit indwelling is necessary to be changed into the
10:51
perfect. The perfected Immortal person
10:54
who God originally intended us to be when Jesus returns.
11:00
So, having the spirit indwelling or being prepared is, what is
11:05
talked about in the parable of the ten virgins, that's in
11:10
Matthew. The Gospel of Matthew, chapter
11:12
25, if you want to read that, Stay connected to God.
11:17
Even when we mess up, here is another unpopular.
11:22
But true thing Revelation 3:5 says, names can be blotted out
11:31
from The Book of Life by God. Think about this, to be blotted
11:36
out, means the names were once written in the book of life.
11:42
So that is a little concerning to it. it mean that you're just
11:46
like, It's this is an ongoing thing and and Jesus said before,
11:52
you know, to be a follower of him, you need to take up your
11:55
own cross. Well, the cross was suffering
11:57
for Jesus, and there's a certain amount of suffering that we have
12:00
to endure, and it's because the choices aren't always easy
12:04
choices, but they are required choices.
12:07
Choosing God isn't always an easy thing to do.
12:12
The other thing is God's spirit can depart we read about this in
12:18
1 Samuel chapter 16, verse 14. If we continually choose sin,
12:26
when we're given a choice to choose obedience or sin as Saul
12:30
did, when he kept choosing his own way and sin, and he wasn't
12:34
listening to God's commands. God's spirit did depart from
12:39
Saul. And then, Evil spirit came and
12:43
tormented him and that can happen to us too.
12:48
So search Spirit of the Lord in scripture, in a digital digital
12:53
version for more understanding of this, and you'll get gain
12:56
some insight by doing that. So why do you think it says, the
13:00
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, fear of the
13:04
Lord is referenced 453 times in scripture.
13:09
So, just search that again, fear of the Lord and see what it says
13:13
about that. This isn't there to put us in
13:16
constant fear. But it is there to tell us the
13:20
importance of remaining focused on God in a good relationship
13:25
with God. Remember sin separates us from
13:28
God. We can't be casual about our
13:32
ongoing relationship with God. Scripture tells us this is true.
13:37
If we remain focused on God we have nothing to fear remember
13:41
that too. Grace, isn't a free license to
13:47
continue in sin. Don't let people give you false
13:52
information about the concept of Grace.
13:54
The grace, we have been given for our Salvation read Jude
14:00
chapter 1, Jude was Jesus brother.
14:04
But here's what it says in verse 4 for certain individuals, whose
14:10
condemnation was written about long ago have Secretly slipped
14:16
in among you. They are ungodly people who
14:21
pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality
14:28
and deny Jesus Christ, Our Only Sovereign and Lord.
14:34
So we have to be careful because I hear that a lot with certain
14:40
churches that just talk about Grace.
14:43
Grace is all it is. His grace is all it is, but they
14:46
don't ever talk about obedience or about removing sin, a lot of
14:52
in our life. And, and I think that's a false
14:56
sense of security. And I don't want anyone to be
15:00
misled by lies because you can see it here in Scripture.
15:04
It says, Grace is not a free license to continue to sin.
15:09
Only through Jesus is the kingdom of God possible.
15:13
Jesus also said, no one can come to the father except through me.
15:19
Jesus is the only one who could make it possible for us to have
15:23
the opportunity to be in God's kingdom.
15:27
There is no way, we could be good enough or do enough good
15:32
things throughout our life to get into God's kingdom.
15:36
It is far more holier than that. That even if we are obedient, if
15:41
we don't accept acknowledge or understand what Jesus did on the
15:45
cross to save us, literally. It's meaningless.
15:49
Jesus who was sinless, was the only one who could be the
15:54
acceptable sacrifice, according to God's law that could be the
16:00
substitute. He Jesus could be the substitute
16:02
death for all of mankind. Jesus essentially purchased us.
16:08
Back from Death by his action on the cross and Resurrection
16:12
thereafter. Think about this, a scroll was a
16:16
form of a contract long ago in Revelation 5 Jesus, who is the
16:21
Lamb? Symbolically in Revelation. 5,
16:25
is the only one worthy to open the scroll or the contract and
16:30
Jesus breaks. The seals Revelation 6, securing
16:35
the contract. This is the repurchasing of us
16:40
from death. So he's breaking the old
16:41
contract where we were given away and he is repurchasing us
16:45
from death. Yes, there are some awful things
16:48
that happen when the seals break but they are necessary.
16:52
According to God's law. As revealed in scripture, those
16:57
events have to happen and will happen in accordance with
17:01
scripture to refine some to have some turn towards God and to
17:06
ultimately, Ultimately separate those who choose evil from
17:10
those, who choose God, when the fall of mankind happened in the
17:15
Garden of Eden, when Humanity, through Adam and Eve chose to
17:19
listen to, and obey the serpent, which was Satan, that's where
17:24
mankind came under the influence and power of Evil.
17:28
Jesus action broke this evil, hold on mankind, but if we don't
17:34
understand this and accept what Jesus said, We remain in the
17:37
dark and if we deny Jesus, he will deny us before the father
17:43
and we will be subject to the laws we have broken when it's
17:47
time for our judgment. Jesus action is a gift to those
17:52
who accept the gift. In summary.
17:56
So, considering all these things, this is why I want and
18:00
choose to become obedient. To God speaking, the truth is
18:05
not easy because it makes us uncomfortable knowing these
18:08
things. But the way I look at it, I
18:11
would rather know the truth in advance so that I can prepare
18:15
and take this seriously rather than be caught by surprise and
18:18
an untimely point, which would be my physical death when there
18:22
is no turning back possible, And remember, God gave us this
18:27
warning because he loves us and does not want us to perish.
18:33
Remember, God's love Peter said, the Lord is not slow, in keeping
18:38
his promise as some understand slowly, slowness, instead he is
18:44
patient with you. Not wanting anyone to perish,
18:48
but everyone to come to repentance and that's in 2 Peter
18:53
3:9. First 9, I hope this made a
18:58
difference in your life. First 9, I hope this made a
18:58
difference in your life.